Book picks similar to
The Young Despondents by Jason M. Burns


fiction
first-reads
graphic-novel
mental-illness

The Summer We Were Friends


Fiona O'Brien - 2021
    But as plans begin to unravel, tensions mount in the sleepy seaside town.Newcomer Dot joined the festival committee as a way of fitting in and as the first guests arrive to her newly renovatedbeachside B&B - TV star Molly Cusack and businessman Ryan Schindler - Dot becomes more determined than everthat her move be the fresh start she so desperately needs.Meanwhile heartbroken Merry has returned home to Derrybeggs and is back working at her parents' café. Everyone in town knows that her dream life in Florida tragically fell apart, but Merry is the only one who knows the whole story...When an intriguing American visitor turns up at The Seashell Café with no memory of who he is or why he is in Derrybeggs, Dot, Merry and the rest of the town's residents must come together to try to help him. But will they manage to do this while also saving the film festival?

Hard Justice (The Rocky Mountain Lawmen Book 5)


John Legg - 2016
    And he’s a deputy city marshal in Wichita. When a band of cutthroats torture and kill and elderly couple, Coppersmith turns in his badge and becomes a bounty hunter. Following Brady Rutledge and his gang, Coppersmith ends up in Blanca, Colorado. Wounded and framed for a murder he did not commit, he proves his innocence, and decides it’s time to pin on a star again — and end Rutledge’s murderous reign.

Summary of The Girl on the Train | Summary & Analysis


aBookaDay - 2015
    If you have not yet bought the original copy, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial summary from aBookaDay. SPECIAL OFFER $2.99 (Regularly priced: $3.99) It is just a daily train ride, a little imagination running wild as she enjoys the scenery from her window seat. It is something we all do, right? Rachel Watson makes up innocent stories about the people she sees. For Rachel it is comforting, something steadfast in her crumbling world. She rides the train every morning like she always has, but without the purpose she once had. Her failed marriage and her descent into alcoholism make her an outcast. She rides into town to a job she no longer has, only to come back at the end of the day to a roommate she is lying to. She has no purpose and nothing seems to be changing until she witnesses something important. Rachel’s favorite imaginary couple that she peers at every day from the train seem to be having trouble. She calls them “Jason” and “Jess”. Rachel can’t quite figure out where she fits in. She was wandering around in a drunken stupor the night “jess” disappears. Rachel starts trying to regain her memories from that night. She tries to piece together the memories of that hazy night. Rachel’s new found hobby is a welcome distraction from her life and problems. She has been dealing not only with an ex-husband, but his new wife as well. Once his mistress, Anna is now having Tom’s baby. Rachel feels inadequate as a result of her infertility and her alcohol problems, blaming herself for the demise of her marriage. Rachel starts out trying to offer a little information into what might have happened to “Jess”, but she becomes obsessed with the case and the people in it. Rachel tries to fill a void with strangers and a case that, supposedly, has nothing to do with her. As Rachel learns to trust herself and her instincts she comes face to face with something she never expected. Read more.... Download your copy today! for a limited time discount of only $2.99! Available on PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet or Kindle device. © 2015 All Rights Reserved

Escape (short story)


K.A. Richardson - 2016
    It’s time. There is someone else to think about now– the tiny life doing its best to grow inside her while she hides the bruises. Finally, with the help of one of Carl’s friends, leaving is possible. Can Cass execute her plan in time? Can she and her unborn child claw their way to safety before Carl finds out? Can she really escape?

Who Killed the Kaneez?


Vijay Kakwani - 2019
     Farzana is one of the prostitutes at Begum's kotha and Ramakant Bannerjee, the writer, loves her deeply. He's promised to marry her once he has enough money. He's currently writing his most ambitious novel, the story of Kaneez. As the story of Kaneez unfolds, so does the intriguing life of Farzana. What fate does she meet? Read on to find out.

The Wretched Needle Worker


Iris Cole - 2021
    Her father was a monster.How could Vera have been so blind to what was right before her eyes?After the death of her kind and loving Papa, Vera’s home is claimed by ne’er do well Uncle Merritt, who drives the household with cruelty and deprivation. Working for her keep, the once privileged Vera is driven to skin and bone and dreads the harsh beatings that Merritt regularly delivers.Ralph, Papa’s loyal and brave stableboy, cannot bear to see Vera shrinking daily under the hand of Merritt. In an attempt protect her, he challenges Merritt and now, tossed to streets, must survive however he can.With the loss of Ralph, Vera’s soul aches, made worse as she watches her father’s elderly servants treated with cruel indignity. In a desperate bid to protect them from Uncle Merritt, his rage is fuelled, and Vera is delivered an ultimatum, causing her to flee from her home. With nowhere to go, Vera too, finds herself on the streets.As starvation threatens, it is only Ralph and her new friend, Maggie, that keep her alive. But when Maggie unexpectedly reveals the truth about Vera's Papa, Vera is plunged to new despair. Will the truth destroy her? Can she keep secrets for the rest of her life? Will she ever be able to make things right? And will she agree to Ralphs’s plan, even though it means she may lose him forever?For fans of Dilly Court and Historical Romance

Goliath: A Thriller


Oceanview Publishing - 2016
    On this maiden voyage, Captain Borodin is at the helm. He is the only one aboard aware of the mission.Soon an engineer discovers a defect—seemingly minor, but one with disastrous potential. Despite his attempts to correct the problem, a fire erupts, contained at first, then rapidly spreads out of control, consuming the behemoth ship.A Mayday call alerts Sonny Wade some two hundred miles from the burning ship. This could be the lifeline that Sonny and his rag-tag crew need to save their failing salvage business. But Dan Sharp, Sonny’s nemesis and former employer—the owner of the largest salvage business in northern Alaska—also hears the call. A brutal race is on to claim the burning ship before it sinks or runs aground, contaminating the entire north Pacific Rim—and not only with oil.

The P**e in the Jam Tart


K.L. Smith - 2017
    Trying her hardest to ignore her husband’s affair with his secretary, and doing her best to do her son’s homework to the best of her (and Google’s) ability, combined with a job she hates and a deep routed fear that she may be a racist and just not know it, her life is a trial to navigate - particularly when her head is buried permanently in the sand to avoid having to confront anything. One morning during breakfast, Claire’s head comes hurtling out of the sand at warp speed after – what she refers to as ‘the jam tart incident’. It is the straw that broke the camel’s back. After the first outburst of her life, gone is the mild-mannered lady who would turn the other cheek and pretend everything was fine, and in her place, is a grumpy middle-aged woman -clad in Shaun-the-sheep slippers - unable to control her temper. A down to earth comedy - poking fun at our politically correct times, religion and our love of stereotypes. Possibly a book to avoid if you are of a religious disposition.

Easy Chair the rest of Age


Nishtha Shrivastava - 2021
    Shreya and Dev, a young couple will tell you what their life was full of. A Navy officer’s struggle on being on sailings and managing his love life and an old grandfather’s silent lifestyle that was the best companion to Shreya for long. Their story will touch our existence, make us think hard on our living and even hit us hard to hear the end.The intoxicating delusion of young age, its fire, its ambition can distract even the simplest of girls from a small town, who are brought up with family values and principles as their core like it happened for Shreya. Even the strongest officer like Mr. Sahai can feel helpless when he sees his life falling apart and loved ones getting detached from their roots. The battle between love and peace is not verified by achieving the end goal of togetherness but can also be lived by gracefully handling the pain and uncertainties of separation when life doesn’t go as per your plan, as it happened with Dev. The end cannot assure you to have the life of dreams in a lavish house, with your love along your side but a few wrong steps and the guilt of your mistakes can bring about loneliness and there memories left to please you for the rest of age.This is the story of guilt, remorse, ignorance, love, friendship, promises, ambition, passion and reliving. This is the story of Dev- Shreya and the Sahai’s.

Kiss of the Texas Maverick


Charlotte Dearing - 2021
    

Retribution


James Barrington - 2016
    But this is no ordinary assassination. Who is the third killer? Why was there no threat warning? And why did the killers kidnap one of the bodyguards, a former SAS soldier? Paul Richter is sent on the case. Before long he is in a deadly game of cat and mouse, wounded and chased through the English countryside. Richter will have to rely on all his combat skills and luck to avoid retribution…A standalone novella in the Paul Richter series, Retribution shows James Barrington at his best: fast, action-packed and giving absolutely no quarter. Watch out for more Agent Paul Richter thrillers 1. Manhunt2. Overkill3. Pandemic4. Foxbat5. Timebomb6. PaybackComing in 2017: the next full length Paul Richter thriller.

Bye Bye Love


Patricia Burns - 2009
    In one day, she loses her Mum and her home as well. Now she and her father are adrift in Southend, moving from one grimy rented room to the next – the only happiness for Scarlett is her innocent romance with local boy Tom. Scarlett’s once-loving Dad can’t hold down a job – or keep off the drink. Scarlett must leave school to work in a factory, just as Tom heads off to do national service. With Tom away, Scarlett’s life is bleak, with the only highlight being the dance hall on a Saturday night. There Scarlett forgets her troubles with the lead singer of a rock ,n’ roll band – with disastrous consequences… Praise for Patricia Burns “The characters spring to life and simply walk off the page. ” Sally WorboyesOther books by Patricia BurnsWe'll Meet AgainFollow Your Dream

It’s Pamela Rigby Actually


C.J. Morrow - 2020
    

Black Diamond


Havana Adams - 2014
    The PRETTY one. And the OTHER one… Abandoned at birth, identical twin baby girls lie side by side in an orphanage cot. Until the arrival of Hollywood film star Scarlet Wilde, desperate to adopt a baby. Chubby beautiful Lola is the chosen one. Sickly, weak Grace is left all alone One pastor’s daughter Rescued from the orphanage by a violent pastor, the sense of abandonment haunts Grace still. She knows there’s not one person in the world she can ever rely on. One Hollywood wild-child From her tangled and publically played out love life, to her first arrest, Lola Wilde has lived in the spotlight as long as she can remember. And the paparazzi know, and care, more about her than her washed-up starlet of a mother… Two strangers, both unwanted and unloved. Two worlds is about to collide. Two sisters about to discover dark secrets and unlock their destiny

The Last Two Aces in Las Vegas


Donna Foley Mabry - 2006
    His father died when he was eleven, leaving Alberto, his mother, and his baby sister Sophia, on their own. As man of the house, Alberto vowed that he would do whatever it took to care for his family, even if it included murder.Decades later, he finds that he is running out of time and he still has three people on his list, two of them to care for, one of them to kill.Beautiful, talented, and bold, casino Entertainment Director Alexandra Merritt grew up in a middle class home where there were sharp distinctions between right and wrong. When she discovers that someone she loves may be a murderer, she finds that real life comes in all shades of gray. Should she tell her suspicions to handsome homicide cop Sam Howard or should she be loyal to someone who may be planning another murder--maybe her own?